


Love me like you say you do

by danglinghearts



Category: Unter Uns
Genre: M/M, based on future spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:39:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danglinghearts/pseuds/danglinghearts
Summary: No one knows Ringo gave his luxury flat to Huber in exchange for the kiosk and the beach. He packs up and moves to Milan with Kira.





	1. I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you. I can't do anything except be in love with you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one knows Ringo gave his luxury flat to Huber in exchange for the kiosk and the beach. He packs up and moves to Milan with Kira.

Ringo tries to talk to Easy at first, to explain, to make him understand that he really loves him, but to no avail. The more time passes, the more Ringo realises Easy will never trust him again.

Ringo tries to stay out of the way of his friends as much as he can. It’s obvious they’re all angry with him. He takes on extra shifts at the gym, much to the bewilderment of Gianni, and instead of studying at home, he goes to the university library. 

A girl from his course is there too and keeps asking him for help. When he realises she’s flirting with him, a wave of guilt washes over him and he makes up a lame excuse about needing to be somewhere. He moves to a different floor. It’s just his luck that the only open workplace puts him right in the middle of the romance section. 

* * * 

It’s Wednesday morning and the day of his last exam. The day starts off well as Tobias makes it clear to him how angry he is and later as he’s about to leave, Easy storms into the gym and makes Ringo cry. Again. Ringo promises to pay the fine, of course he will, and anything else that needs paying. But Easy is crying and telling him he loved him and asking why Ringo hurt him so much, and Ringo’s been asking himself those same questions. 

At home, Ringo looks into the bathroom mirror and doesn’t recognise the face looking back at him anymore. His head hurts from trying to stop all the tears. Even Paco sticking his nose in again, doesn’t stop them. He has an exam to go to. He’s desperately trying to hold on to everything he held dear only a few months ago. 

It’s like he doesn’t even see the questions on the page. Easy’s words keep haunting him, “Lüg mich nicht an. Bitte. Stop lying to me.”  
“You say you love me but you were screwing with me the entire time.”  
“Do you enjoy treating people like that? Are you getting off on it or what?”  
“Ich hab dich geliebt, weißt du? Why are you doing this to me?”  
“Don’t touch me!”  
“Sorry but that would mean you actually have something like feelings. But that’s the last thing I’ll believe of you.”  
“I believed there was a real person behind this facade.”

That last one resonates over and over in Ringo’s mind. And before he knows it his time is up and he starts writing frantically. He pleads and pleads but it’s too late.

* * *

When Paco tells him the next day that Easy tried to buy back the beach and kiosk from Huber but doesn’t have the money, he doesn’t even think he might have a chance but he has to try. Of course Huber is asking more than he got for it. Because he can see how desperate Ringo is. 

That man really has a heart of stone. Ringo is almost jealous for a second.

As he’s leaving, Huber makes him an even more ridiculous offer. His luxury flat, worth about € 350.000, in exchange for the beach and kiosk he gave Ringo barely € 200.000 for. Ringo scoffs and leaves defeated. How can he raise all that extra money?

* * *

When he gets home, Paco wants to know how he got on. Ringo stares into the fridge and lets him know the price Huber demands and that there’s no persuading him otherwise. He keeps silent about the offer for his flat. It’s not like he’d ever consider giving up his new place. Besides, Paco is right. Easy could never be bought. Even if Ringo could get him the beach and kiosk back, there’s no way that’d mean he’d forgive Ringo for tricking him into selling them in the first place.

He doesn’t sleep that night. He’s barely slept a full night’s worth the past week, but this night he keeps trying to make it work. Trying to find ways to come up with the money. By morning he knows there’s no other way. It’s not like the luxury flat even holds any appeal to him anymore.

* * *

While he’s contemplating if he could hold down his breakfast shake that morning, KayC calls him an asshole again, and Elli ignores him. Paco seemed to be the only one still talking to him, but he doesn’t stop anyone from taking their anger out on him. It’s becoming more and more clear to Ringo that none of his friends want him around anymore. He never thought he had friends and it surprises him how much it hurts to have lost them now.

Huber promises to make Easy the owner of the beach and kiosk again. The weight on Ringo’s shoulders seem a little bit lighter now. 

But the vice around his chest gets tighter as he contemplates the other decision he made last night. It’s time for him to leave.

He calls Kira and starts packing. He’s home alone as he packs some clothes and essentials in a suitcase and the rest of his belongings in boxes. He sleeps in a strangely empty room that night.

* * *

The moving company shows up the following morning. Everyone seems surprised but only Paco asks if he’s moving. Ringo tells him it’s probably for the best. As he’s leaving, Bambi calls after him to enjoy his new flat by the Rhine. He pulls the door closed behind him for the last time and wonders if Kira’s place is anywhere near a river. 

He directs the movers to the storage facility where his things will stay until he finds a place of his own in Milan to bring them to. He looks around the Schillerallee and it hits him painfully that he had hoped to see Easy one last time. 

He takes the letter he wrote last night from his pocket and slides it under the door of the kiosk. 

He gets in his taxi to the train station. He never once looks back.

* * *  
* * * 

On Monday morning, Easy receives the papers in the mail that make him the owner of his beloved beach and kiosk again. He’s both overjoyed and red with anger. Does Ringo really think this will make it all alright?

He storms over into the flatshare, ignores his startled friends and is up the stairs and throwing open Ringo’s bedroom door in a flash. The bang of the door against the wall echoes in the empty room. 

* * *

It turns out no one actually knows where exactly Ringo’s new place is. There’s nothing for it, Easy will have to go ask Huber for the address. He ignores the voice in his head that tells him he could just phone Ringo to yell at him, he doesn’t need to do it face to face.

Huber sighs as he opens the door. “Herr Winter, what can I do for you today?”

When Easy asks him where Ringo’s flat is, Huber’s laughter sounds cruel. Easy’s heart constricts when he realises he has no idea where Ringo is.

* * *

There’s an emergency meeting at the flatshare and it’s chaos. No one seems to understand why it’s so important to Easy to find out where Ringo is. It’s a good thing they got rid of that asshole, right? 

Only Paco looks at him like he understands, but he doesn’t have any answers either. 

* * *

A week later and he’s still no closer to finding Ringo. He’s had several fights with Tobias already on that subject, so he doesn’t bring it up anymore. Tobias seems to think his silence means he’s given up. Maybe his best friend doesn’t know him as well as they thought.

He’s tried calling Ringo’s phone but it just rings out. Not even voicemail.

When he checks his bank balance, there’s an extra € 100.000 in it with a note “For the renovation of the kiosk and the beach. I’m sorry”. He puts on his winter coat and goes outside. It’s started snowing again in March but the cold fits Easy’s strangely numb mood. 

He wonders what he’s even doing here. The dark kiosk doesn’t even feel like his anymore. His feet take him across the street and he’s fishing the keys from this pocket like he’s done so many mornings before.

The letter on the ground already has dust on it but his name stands out clearly in Ringo’s writing. 

_Easy,_

_By the time you read this letter I’ll be gone._

_I hope I will have made up for some of my mistakes by giving you back what has always been rightfully yours. I’ve also paid your fine. It’s only fair, it was my fault._

_I know this doesn’t make right what I did to you, but it’s the only thing I can do now._

_I’ve always believed I had no friends and I didn’t need anyone. But losing my friends, losing YOU, has made me realise money doesn’t mean anything. Even when I was falling in love with you, I kept telling myself I would love the money even more._

_But I have never loved anyone like I love you. And I’ve never felt so loved as when you loved me._

_That’s why I’m leaving now. I can’t stand to see you and know you hate me. I’m a coward, but it hurts too much._

_You deserve someone so much better than me and I hope you’ll find him soon. Someone who is worthy of all the love you have to give. I wish you a happy life, Ingo Winter._

 

_In liebe,_

_Ringo_

 

The letter crumples in Easy’s fingers as he stares ahead. His phone rings and he fumbles to get it out of his pocket, with every intention to turn it off. It’s Kira.


	2. I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you. I can't do anything except be in love with you.

Ringo has been in Milan for a week when he realises how much he’s missed Kira. She’s grown up from the annoying, interfering little sister he remembers into a mature young woman, leading her own life.

She doesn’t ask why he’s come to visit her now, but after two weeks he breaks down and tells her everything. Because he has to tell someone about Easy. He lets it all out; his big plan, all that money, the betrayal and the unexpected - falling in love like he’s never been before. The happiness of being in love and the heartbreak of being hated by the person he’s loved the most. His plan to put it right again and his flight from his home, so Easy wouldn’t have to see him again.

After that, it feels like the weight on his chest eases a tiny little bit. But not enough.

* * *

He doesn’t realise at first how most of her phonecalls end in a hasty “I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.” whenever he walks in, until one day he opens the door and there is Easy, standing before him, looking determined.

Ringo knows he should be angry with Kira for interfering but Easy is here and Ringo isn’t strong enough to walk away from him again. Even if he knows he doesn’t deserve the man that is Ingo Winter.

So they stay up all evening and all night and they talk.

The next day, they go out and buy some clothes for Easy because apparently he packed in a hurry and brought six pairs of socks but only one t-shirt.

They walk around the town for hours and Ringo shows him all the sights he noticed because he thought that Easy might like to photograph them. Easy eventually admits he would but he didn’t bring any of his equipment. So they walk some more, in a strange companionable silence, despite the obvious tension still between them. And Ringo never knew he could have this kind of comfort with anyone, and he wonders how it’s possible to fall in love even more than he already was, but here he is and it hurts so much that Easy feels so far away.

They talk for days and Ringo tells Easy everything. Everything. Because he knows if he leaves anything out and Easy finds out later on, he won’t be given the chance again to explain. Easy walks away a few times after several of his confessions, but he always comes back. 

One time Ringo overhears Kira asking Easy to give him the opportunity to tell him the whole story and Ringo has never been so grateful for her interfering. He vows to give her everything she ever asks for from now on. Even if Easy never talks to him again. Because she tried.

On the sixth day, Easy tells him he won’t forgive him. Because he can’t forgive what Ringo has done. But he tells Ringo he loves him like he’s never loved anyone before. And he tells Ringo he doesn’t want him to change, despite Ringo’s many assurances that he will, because honestly, all the cleverness and the asshole-ness and the scheming are part of why Easy loves him so much. But Easy also makes him promise to never hurt him or their family of friends again.

Ringo promises of course. Not to placate Easy into taking him back, but because he can’t even fathom hurting any one of them anymore.

And Easy makes him promise to talk to him about everything and to never leave him out of his plans, even for his own protection. And Ringo promises that too, even if it’s somewhat reluctantly, because he remembers that while Easy may have gotten his nickname for being easy-going, he can hold his own and has before. Ringo vividly remembers getting punched in the face on a few occasions.

That night they sleep in the same bed again, hugging close and exhausted from laying bare all their emotions. But Ringo feels like he’s rested for the first time since he came home to see Easy’s tear-streaked face and knew his time was up.

They decide to stay in Milan for a while longer before going home and spend the next few days wandering around town. Kira manages to procure a camera for Easy and he’s delighted. It’s an older model and Kira’s friend tells them he can keep it, she’s got a newer model anyway.  
Easy looks so happy when taking pictures and Ringo is glad he managed to convince Easy to take his photography seriously, because he wasn’t lying about that, Easy’s photos are beautiful. 

And Ringo gets to see Easy smile again. He missed the dimples.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the ep 5822 spoilers and this fic from MissYango https://missyango.tumblr.com/post/171175432533/ohbabycupcakes-missyango-ringos


End file.
